Description

How does the brain piece together the information required to achieve object recognition, figure-ground segmentation, object completion in cases of partial occlusion and related perceptual phenomena?

This book focuses on principles of Gestalt psychology and the key issues which surround them, providing an up-to-date survey of the most interesting and highly debated topics in visual neuroscience, perception and object recognition.

The volume is divided into three main parts: Gestalt and perceptual organisation, attention aftereffects and illusions, and color vision and art perception. Themes covered in the book include:

- a historical review of Gestalt theory and its relevance in modern-day neuroscience

- the relationship between perceptive and receptive fields

- a critical analysis of spatiotemporal unity of perception

- the role of Gestalt principles in perceptual organization

- self-organizing properties of the visual field

- the role of attention and perceptual grouping in forming non-retinotopic representations

- figural distortions following adaptation to spatial patterns

- illusory changes of brightness in spatial patterns

- the function of motion illusions as a tool to study Gestalt principles in vision

- conflicting theories of color vision and the neural basis of it

- the role of color in figure-ground segmentation

- chromatic assimilation in visual art and perception

- the phenomena of colored shadows.

Including contributions from experts in the field, this book will provide an essential overview of current research and theory on visual perception and Gestalt. It will be key reading for researchers and academics in the field of visual perception and neuroscience.

Table of Contents

Perception Beyond Gestalt: Introductory Remarks Geremek, Greenlee and MagnussenPart I: Gestalt and Perceptual Organization How much of Gestalt Theory has Survived a Century of Neuroscience? Wagemans Perceptive Fields and Receptive Fields Thomas Spatiotemporal Unity of Perception: Given or Derived? Breitmeyer What is a Perceptual Object? Beyond the Gestalt Theory of Perceptual Organization Pinna Self-organizing Properties of the Visual Field: Gestalt Forces in Action Harvey Jr andSchmidt Part II: Attention, Aftereffects and Illusions Attention, Grouping, and Non-Retinotopic Representations Öğmen and Herzog Probing Human Vision with Spatial Adaptation Greenlee and Magnussen From Hermann's Grid to Spillmann's Weaves Hamburger, Dixon and Shapiro Motion Illusions as a Psychophysical Tool to Investigate the Visual System Gori and StubsPart III: Color Vision and Art Perception In Search of Neurophysiological Correlates to Color Perception Valberg Color and Figure-Ground: From Signals to Qualia Dresp-Langley and Reeves Chromatic Assimilation in Visual Art and Perception Devink, Pinna and Werner The Phenomenon of 'Colored Shadows' Kallman, Schramme and Neumeyer

About the Editors

Adam Geremek received his PhD at the Brain Research Unit, Freiburg, andis now a paediatricianspecialising in child psychiatry in Schleswig, Germany.

Mark Greenlee is Professor of Experimental Psychology at the University of Regensburg, Germany.

Svein Magnussen is Professor Emeritus of Cognitive Psychology at the University of Oslo, Norway.